The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-10
A VERY PECULIAR CITY
ABOUT TO DISAPPEAR WITH
THE WINTERS ICE.
The FlaibOats OF New Jersey and
Their Masters -lIsw Their
Denizens Live.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF IN. IrrrAL.l

| lCG UCkluC W ANN6 VIZ AhlahN WaAtl
ways and the breath Of winter blows
chill from the northland. the bold
nayigators of the raging canal turn
their prows southwark and follow
the flight of the wild geese at the rate
of about three miles an hour. The
honk Of the wild goose is heard far
to the south when the tow path
mariner hauls his craft through the
gap into the Morris canal basin at
Jersey City and begins to make
things snug and tight for the winter.
He finds in that tide basin, where
the mud is bare twice day except
in the channel, nearly half q thou
sand other boats lying as close to-
gether as sardines in box, and haul
Ing up alongside the feet, he makes
fast to his neighbor and becomes a
part Of the oldest winter city in
the world. Ii he gets in early and
has luck he secures berth at the
wharf, and the others take their
places outside OF his boat as fast as
they arrive, and all are lashed to-
gether so al to form a solid mass. AS
canal boats are bluff bowed and al
most square sterned, there is very
little epeu space between them, and
one can walk over the whole feet as
easily rs ever q raft. For greater
convenience and to prevent accident
al slipping of a foot between the
sides planks are laid frsm rail 10 rail
and sometimes from deck to house,
and every boats deck is made thor
oughfare for the inhabitants Of the
winter city.
Landing at the western end of the
Liberty street ferry and walking up
the railroad track past the dry docks
where big vessels are being scraped,
coppered aud generally overhauled,
one can look across the narrow gap
channel and see the great canal feet
as one vast deck with innumerable
cabins and houses built upon it,
Here and there at low tide an ise-
lated hulk lies rotting in the mud, its
broken ribs and shattered planks
telling the story of its departed use
fulness aud abandonment to slow
decay. TO reach the feet the
gap must be crossed, and here
in the midst Of all this activity and
between two Of the busiest lines of
railroad in the country, is found
relic of the slow old times, a bit OF
old fogyism maintained and pre-
served by modern enterprise in the
form of corporation influence. The
principal street of Jersey City, paved
expensively, is divided by this water
gap, and there is no bridge to con-
meet the two sections. The railroads
and the sugar refinery, situated on
one side Of the gap, spend $4,000
year. it is estimated, to prevent the
people of Jersey City from bridging
the gap. The money is distributed
among Jersey legislators BY agents
who know where dollars will do the
most good-or the NEST harm-and
bills to permit the building of
bridge are regularly knocked out.
Last winter diversion was created
by proposition to tunnel under the
gap, and a bill embodying such a
scheme was passed with the assist
ance of the corporation agents. The
tunnel was to be completed June
last, but il never was begun, and the
traveller or the citizen who
passes that way still has the
choice of three methods OF getting
from one section of the street to the
other. He can make detour OF
mile, swim across, or whistle for the
ferryman. On the southern hand OF
the gap is a plain board shanty and
a gangplank running down to small
float stage that some times floats and
at other times rests in the mud.
Chalked on the end Of the shanty
in rude style is the legend: Fair
2 sents." This sign and a fiat bot
tom punt at the float indicate that a
ferry is maintained here. A whistle
brings out the ferryman, who will
scull the punt across the gap, not
disiaining the assistance of a pas
senger who may feel inclined to take
up the two oars, conveniently lashed
to the thole pins, and pull few
strokes. At the other side, if the
passenger be active, and the tide
low, he can grasp a hanging chain
and scramble up the wharf timbers
to a rough ladder, and SO up to the
street, and if he be not agile he may
get boost from the ferryman.
Access TO the canal aset is had
from the wharves on that side OF the
gap, and from the gang plank to the
first boat all the others may be
reached. As spring approaches, thu
boatmen begin making repairs aud
alterations on their craft, and the
sound of hammer and saw is heard
from all directions. On board one
of the boats near the wharf lank,
grizzled skipper is hauling up pota-
toes from the hold aud selling them
to a peddler whose wagon stauds
near. There is little of the sailor in
the appearance OF the average tow
path mariner. He generally looks
like q Jersey farmer, and dresses
like one. He never blasts his eyes,
shivers his timbers or danossa horn.
pipe, although he may be able to hold
his own in splicing the mainbrase,
and he knows more about steering
mule than about taking his trick at
the wheel and keeping his weather
eye peeled. The old fellow standing
on the canal boats deck, selling pOta-
toes by the peck, looks more farmer
like than the average.
"Howd'y do2" he says in reply 10
4 salutation. walk right down that
ere board and come here if you want
to see nice lot O 'taters. Now look at
them down there. Poorly fair mid
din lot, amt theyp Been sellin' on
EN- all winter, and gittin' 'em tela-
bly, we'll cleaned out. This boat be-
longs to my son-in- law, and he
loaded her with potatoes long the
last of the season, and come down
here to sell 'em ON his own hook.
Runs the boat himself yea see and in
the summer he buys salt aud loads
up, and sells it up along. Pays better
than carryin' freight for other fslkS.
but t amt everybody kin do that.
My boats the next one, She b'longs
II NIL. D.